About to start hunting a lot and concerned that my dog could use a little cushion for the cold. He is a bigger dog, 86 lbs, but there is not an ounce of fat on him. He is very lean. My question is, can I put weight on him? He is what they refer to as a fire breather, high energy, high metabolism. Any advice on adding weight but keeping the stools firm?
Possible to put a little weight on a 19 month old high octane male?
CodyC
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About to start hunting a lot and concerned that my dog could use a little cushion for the cold. He is a bigger dog, 86 lbs, but there is not an ounce of fat on him. He is very lean. My question is, can I put weight on him? He is what they refer to as a fire breather, high energy, high metabolism. Any advice on adding weight but keeping the stools firm?
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Dunkin Donuts works really well!
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It can be hard to keep weight on any high powered dog. I have had good luck adding some ground beef (70%) to their feed during hunting season. Any type of "good" fat will help.
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Impact High Energy Supplement, google it, about the same amount of calories as a cup of 30/20 without the volume.
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Chicken McNuggetts aren't people food!!!!
Really? no people food at all?? You suck as a dad!!! (just kidding)
Trap also gets rotisiery chicken added to his food. Loves the grease poured on his food as well.
Really? no people food at all?? You suck as a dad!!! (just kidding)
Trap also gets rotisiery chicken added to his food. Loves the grease poured on his food as well.
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I have also used olive oil added to the food. It gets a little expensive and wasn't as effective as a doughnut.
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It sounds bad for us humans but I have to say that Chicken McNuggets does the trick. They are very high calorie for the dog, they love them (like crack), and for the most part I don't see too much stomach upset unless you go bananas with them. They can pass a little gas but that is the worst of it.
I also highly recommend whole raw goat milk. It is expensive and hard to find in some areas but it is a canine/human superfood. Probably the only thing keeping my very elderly dog alive at this point. If calorie lost is large I recommend the raw goat milk with cooked long grain white rice after the activity. Super fat, protein, probiotics, and carbs plus the goat milk is very easy on the digestive system. This does NOT work with cow's milk has to be raw goat.
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Why would you want to put added weight to a dog that big ?
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Because he is extremely lean and muscular. He is just a big framed dog. Not an ounce of fat on him. Obviously a little extra weight will help keep him warmer. Just because the dog is larger doesn't mean he is fat.
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Never mentioned he was fat. But anytime you add weight to a dog you risk putting stress on his joints and overall health.As long as he is getting proper nutrition extra weight does not equate to warmth. He isn't a walrus or a seal. Lots of other ways to keep him warm
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I don't have a lab but I have a high energy cocker that I've been trying to do the same with. He's big by cocker standards - 40lbs. The vet suggested adding some fat on him especially since we're hunting so much right now and I'm trying but I think its pretty much impossible. He'll be 2 years old in January. I think some dogs just need to get a little older before they finally start to fill out. He's a powerful little guy and very muscular but just doesn't hold fat. I have upped his feed by about a cup over the last 2 months and also add in olive oil on his food and an egg once or twice a week but he's still a scrawny little fella. More food just seems to give him more energy, so I don't think I am accomplishing much. I've stopped worrying about it - he'll fill out when he's ready to.
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There are so many overweight retrievers, particularly labradors out there.
I'd suggest that nobody intentionally TRY to put weight on their labrador unless a medical professional gives you health reasons why it's needed.
Athletic dogs are built like athletic dogs.
Chris
I'd suggest that nobody intentionally TRY to put weight on their labrador unless a medical professional gives you health reasons why it's needed.
Athletic dogs are built like athletic dogs.
Chris
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I've always wondered about this concept that "fat keeps them warmer". Its not ever made a lot of sense to me. Even if there was some fact to it, how much warmer could that possibly be?
I know I have a few more LBS on me now then I did 15 years ago. I still need to wear a coat when its cold.
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Look up "brown fat" vs "white fat."
Brown fat is glandular and insulating---you see it in hibernating mammals like bears and in neonates. Humans and dogs are born with a little brown fat but it seems to disappear quickly.
White fat is energy stores.
If you fatten up a dog most likely you are adding white fat, which is not insulating.
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http://www.chewy.com/dog/nupro-all-...pc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=Nupro&utm_term=&gclid=CL-4iPKOrcICFRWRfgodNAcAmw
NuPro Helps keeps weight on my dogs, for the entire season. Has put weight on a few active teenage boys. Also gets a dog very regular. Beware though can put too much weight on, and no-one needs a fat lab.
Weight is subjective, based largely on frame size, usually a Lab shouldn't be above 80lb, most should be significantly lower.
That said This Boy was 94lb when fat, and 89 when running. This is a Fat Pic you can see he's still quite lean
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I'd never intentionally put extra weight on dog; particularly one this size, Larger a dog the more prone to joint and other issues. You need to keep them thin and active. There's a reason Great Danes only live 6-8yr on average. The 85-100lb dogs that really need such weight are very few and far between. I lost this dog @ almost 11yrs. ( heart attack) pretty young for his lines, which are usually 14-16yrs. but he never suffered a joint injury, never had arthritis, and was very active until he just didn't wake up one afternoon. If you want your dog to live well and run longer, keep him lean and fit, buy him a vest if he looks to get cold . I assume they make them in this size, I wouldn't know 11yrs of hunting all weather, many different areas and this dog never wore a vest.
NuPro Helps keeps weight on my dogs, for the entire season. Has put weight on a few active teenage boys. Also gets a dog very regular. Beware though can put too much weight on, and no-one needs a fat lab.
Weight is subjective, based largely on frame size, usually a Lab shouldn't be above 80lb, most should be significantly lower.
That said This Boy was 94lb when fat, and 89 when running. This is a Fat Pic you can see he's still quite lean
. I assume they make them in this size, I wouldn't know 11yrs of hunting all weather, many different areas and this dog never wore a vest.
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Wouldn't it be easier just to get him a neoprene vest? They're surprisingly inexpensive.
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Insulating or not, people with higher body fat % recover their core temperature more rapidly following prolonged cold water immersion.
http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1051&context=jhpee
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